President Donald J. Trump
The White House
Fact Sheets

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Ensures Transparency in Higher Education Admissions

The White House

ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretary of Education to require higher education institutions receiving Federal financial assistance to be transparent regarding their admissions practices.

  • The Memorandum directs the Secretary of Education to revamp the online presentation and data collection of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to make it efficient, easily accessible, and intelligibly presented for parents and students.
  • The Memorandum instructs the Secretary of Education to expand the scope of required reporting for institutions’ admissions data in order to provide adequate transparency as determined by the Secretary of Education.
  • The Memorandum further instructs the Secretary of Education to increase accuracy checks for data submitted by institutions through IPEDS and take remedial action if institutions fail to submit data in a timely manner or submit incomplete or inaccurate data.

ENDING DISCRIMINATORY RACE-BASED ADMISSIONS: President Trump is ending discriminatory practices that are illegal, strip opportunities and scholarships from hardworking students, and waste taxpayer dollars.

  • In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that consideration of race in higher education admissions violates students’ civil rights.
  • However, the lack of available admissions data from universities—paired with the rampant use of “diversity statements” and other overt and hidden racial proxies—continues to raise concerns about whether race is actually used in admissions decisions in practice. 
  • This Memorandum requires higher education institutions to submit the data necessary to verify that their admissions do not involve unlawful discrimination. It will also provide the public with a more holistic view of the factors these institutions consider in admissions.
  • American students, parents, and taxpayers should have confidence that our Nation’s institutions of higher education are recruiting and training our next generations with fairness and integrity.

ADVANCING REFORMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: President Trump is holding elite universities accountable, ensuring they prioritize fairness, merit, and American values.

  • In January 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order to end the discriminatory and illegal DEI preferences in higher education.
  • In June 2025, President Trump signed a Proclamation to safeguard national security by suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University.
  • In July 2025, the Administration successfully negotiated a resolution with the University of Pennsylvania to keep men out of women’s sports and restore the trophies and records of women.
  • In July 2025, President Trump secured settlements with Columbia University and Brown University that include agreements that the universities will provide access to all relevant data and information to rigorously assess compliance with their commitments to merit-based hiring and admissions.